Only five Pakistani players in IPL-III

Not all the Pakistani players are welcome in the next IPL season as the organisers have sought clearance for only five players from the PCB.

According to sources IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi had asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to provide NOCs from their government for Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq and new signing, Abdul Razzaq.

"That is what we have heard that the IPL is not asking for a blanket clearance for all Pakistani players. They have specifically taken names of players they want clearances for the next IPL season," the source told PTI.

While Razzaq is a new signing for Kolkatta Knight Riders, the other four appeared in the first edition of the mega Twenty20 IPL in 2008 for different teams.

The foreign ministry has already given political clearance to the players, the sports ministry is now awaiting security clearance from the interior ministry.

Salman Ahmed of Portfolio international, the sports management company that represents the majority of the Pakistani players, said efforts were being made to get more players get the opportunity to play in the IPL next year.

"It is not fair that the IPL is asking for NOCs for only a handful of players. We don't know what is the status about the other players and when they would be considered," he said.

Salman, who is in New Zealand to discuss the IPL issue with the players, said the PCB should make it clear to the IPL that they can't be selective in picking players from Pakistan.

He said so far there was no inquiry for Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Salman Butt, Muhammad Hafeez all of whom played in the inaugural tournament.

The IPL has given a deadline of December 7 to the PCB to submit NOCs for the players and Salman said some solution would be found out before this deadline.

He said under the present system the franchises could not directly sign on players from other countries and only those players, cleared by IPL, could be available for the auction.

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